大象传媒

To mark the 40th anniversary of What's Going On, Smokey Robinson explores the social and political impact of this classic album and explains why Marvin Gaye's masterpiece still has resonance today. The first album to feature songs about social injustice, suffering, hatred, drug abuse, war, loss and poverty, it inspired a new generation of performers to use their music for social commentary.

By 1970 Marvin Gaye had released ten albums of acclaimed soul and R&B, all produced under the protective and watchful control of Tamla Motown legend Berry Gordy. But when Marvin began preparing to record a new album in the summer of 1970, his own personal experience weighed heavily on his soul and he began writing songs with a conscience.

The first album produced solely by the artist himself, it's told from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred. Featuring introspective lyrics about drug abuse, poverty and the Vietnam War, the album was also the first to reflect the beginning of a new trend in soul music. It was an immediate commercial, and critical, success and has endured as a classic of early-1970s soul.

Guests in the programme include Stevie Wonder, Mary Wilson, Lamont Dozier, Seal, and three of the surviving Funk Brothers who played with Marvin on the album - Bob Babbitt, Joe Messina and Jack Ashford.